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July 3, 2017

Waterproof Your Summer Reading

It's been a pretty crazy week. This week marks the first big promotional push for The End of Refuge which has been more successful than I ever imagined. The neighbor who watches the kids while I write has been on vacation so I haven't had much time to work on my manuscript. And then my daughter hurt her elbow and was at the ER until 2 am (she's totally fine now).

The weather finally feels like summer, and although I've been able to take the kids to the pool, they don't last long at the playground in this heat. Thankfully, we all love going to the pool and there are chairs in the shade where I can sit and read while the kids splash.

Something about mass market paperbacks lends well to reading at the pool. They're affordable and weren't made to be particularly durable so I don't feel too bad if I break the binding or the pages get wet. But if you're like me and purchase eBooks (partially because I love reading on my Kindle Paperwhite but mostly because my bookshelves are already packed) then you'll be bringing your eReader/phone/tablet to the pool.

Sometimes I want to be right one the edge of the pool with my feet dipped in the water and my nose in a book. So how do you protect your devices so close to the water?

Waterproof case

This is the most obvious option and works for just about any device. There are a lot of options available in tons of designs and colors. I love this case for the Kindle Oasis that comes in a beautiful summery shade of blue.

Waterproof coating

Instead of remembering to put a special case on your eReader to keep it dry, why not coat it in a waterproof material? You can purchase a Kindle through Waterfi that's already been treated with a special coating. It does cost around twice the amount of an untreated Kindle, but you could take your Kindle to the bottom of the pool without ruining it which is cool.

Bag it

My favorite option is the cheap one using materials you probably already have at home—put your device in a sealable plastic bag. You probably won't be able to dive to the bottom of the pool with your device, but it will be protected from splashes. This one might warrant some odd looks, but hey, I'm already out there in a neon pink rash guard so I'm already getting some raised eyebrows. And hey, who cares what other people think? I'm already lost in a dystopian world full of kick-ass characters.